The present invention is in the field of transaction processing. More particularly, the present invention is in the field of processing electronic transactions such as telephone calls.
Modern businesses rely increasingly on the ability of their customers to communicate with the business reliably and efficiently by telephone or computer. It is vital to the success of a business that high volumes of electronic transactions such as telephone calls and computer communications coming into the business be received and routed successfully.
An example of a business that relies particularly heavily on its transaction handling capability is a catalog retailer. Such a retailer employs a number of agents to handle customer calls with the assistance of a computer terminal. Typically, transaction handling hardware and software exists at some central location. This hardware and software performs functions such as receiving an incoming call, collecting information from a caller, and forwarding the caller to an appropriate agent based on the information. The agent may be at a location that is remote from the transaction handling hardware and software. The transaction handling hardware and software may also cause information related to the caller""s account to appear on the computer screen when the call is routed to the agent and the agent is a human with a computer.
A catalog retailer may also use the transaction handling hardware and software to conduct business by computer over the internet.
A transaction handling system, including, transaction handling hardware and software, must be configured initially. For example, the number of agents, and the criteria for routing calls must be determined. Also, hardware of the system must be defined. Sometime during the life of the system, reconfiguration will typically be necessary. The system must be reconfigurable to allow for changes in the system over time. For example, it may become necessary to configure the system to perform different functions, to allow for different physical configurations such as the addition of more agents, or to change security characteristics. Reconfiguration usually involves both physical changes in the system and software changes to allow the system to function properly in its new configuration. For example, a physical change, such as the connection of new computer terminals or new integrated circuit cards typically involves reprogramming various components of the system to recognize and function with the new physical items.
In prior transaction handling systems, reconfiguration is cumbersome. This is due in large part to the fact that prior transaction systems that are located in various geographic areas are configured and controlled by discrete terminals in each geographic area. The various portions of the system are each hardwired to a terminal that allows access to configuration software of that portion. Each system portion may be substantially the same, but there is no mechanism for centralized control or data collection over all portions of the overall transaction processing system. Reconfiguration of prior art system may require a person to log on to a terminal in a particular geographic location for each portion of the system that is to be reconfigured. In some cases, the person reconfiguring the system must be familiar with a particular programming language and have access to core code of the system in order to reconfigure it. Also, the person reconfiguring the system may need to access the physical system, even if direct access for the purpose of adding a new physical component is not necessary.
In some cases specialized software programs may be required to reconfigure the system in such a way that the changes take effect without degradation of system performance and stability. Such software programs typically must be provided by the system supplier. Reconfiguration of prior systems is slow and possibly costly because specially trained personnel must perform the reconfiguration or special software must be supplied to perform reconfiguration. In some cases, the system may only be reconfigurable by the supplier of the system at the request of the system owner.
Another disadvantage of prior art transaction processing systems is the lack of centralized data collection facilities. If a user wishes to collect data about transactions at a particular location, that must be arranged through configuration of hardware and/or software at the location. It is not possible in prior systems to remotely collect information about transaction occurring at a particular location in the system.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a set of software routines for configuring an automated call center. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a set of software routines for configuring an automated transaction processing system that are openly and remotely accessible to application programs for remote configuration of the transaction processing system and remote data collection and retrieval.
A particular embodiment of the invention provides a method for accessing a transaction processing system. The method includes the step of receiving a remote request for access to the transaction processing system from a client device. The method further includes the step of, in response to the remote request, executing at least one server function by a server, where the at least one server function includes performing a security check to authenticate the remote request.